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2025 Eighteenth-Century Africa Publication Fellowship Details & Instructions 

Congratulations on your fellowship! Please find important information about your fellowship below. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact ASECS Executive Director Benita Blessing at director@asecs.org, ASA Executive Director Alix Saba at alix@africanstudies.org, and ASA Programs Manager Ellen McPherson at members@africanstudies.org. Please be sure to cc all email addresses in all correspondence.
 

American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies 

ASECS Membership: 
The fellowship includes ASECS Membership which will conclude June 30, 2026. Learn more about ASECS member benefits here.  

ASECS Graduate Student and Early Career Scholars Caucus (GECC) Membership: 
The fellowship includes membership to the GECC.  
The GECC organizes panels of professional and scholarly interest, runs a mentoring program to connect graduate students with scholars, awards a mentoring prize each year to recognize outstanding faculty, and generally promotes the “next generation” of eighteenth-century scholars. 
 
ASECS Annual Meeting Registration: 
ASECS Annual Meeting Registration is included in your fellowship. To register, visit the registration page and enter the ID Code AFRICA2025. Please register by January 31.


How to prepare for the ASECS Annual Meeting: 
Submit a draft of your abstract and draft paper via email to director@asecs.org and members@africanstudies.org no later than Friday, February 28. Draft papers and abstract can be submitted in any state of the writing process. Review the ASECS Annual Meeting program to find sessions you want to attend.

ASECS Annual Meeting Schedule: 

  • Friday March 28: Fellows are encouraged to attend sessions  
  • Saturday March 29: Workshop Day 1, 11:00am-4:30pm eastern (attendance required) 
    ASECS Plenary 11:00-12:00  
    Introductions 12:30-1:30 
    Meet the Journals 1:30-2:30 
    Break 2:30-3:00 
    Peer work 3:00-4:30 
    Fellows should bring their completed abstract and summary of their paper 
  • Friday April 4: Fellows are encouraged to attend sessions 
  • Saturday April 5: Workshop Day 2, 11:30am-4:30pm eastern (attendance required) 
    Workshop Day 2 will include peer-work sessions, discussions of full papers, and sessions with mentors. Fellows should bring their full paper draft.  
    Break 1:30-2:30 bring a lunch to chat with fellows and mentors (optional) 
     

African Studies Association 

ASA Membership: 
ASA membership is included in the fellowship and begins January 1 and concludes December 31, 2025. Please create a MyASA profile by January 31 and the Secretariat staff will add fellow membership and registration. 

Emerging Scholars Network (ESN) Membership: 
Fellows will also be added as members to the ESN. The ESN hosts online events throughout the year including an information session for new Annual Meeting attendees. The ESN also hosts social events, a Business Meeting, and sponsored panels at the Annual Meeting. Fellows are encouraged to engage with the ESN. 
 
ASA Annual Meeting Registration: 
The fellowship includes ASA Annual Meeting registration. This will be added to your MyASA profile once created.
 
How to prepare for the ASA Annual Meeting: 

Please send us your revised paper no later than May 23. During the summer, you will receive feedback from publishing mentors to further revise your paper for potential publication. Fellows will present on one of two formal sessions during the Annual Meeting, but do NOT need to submit their presentation to the Annual Meeting CFP.  A detailed schedule for fellows will be provided in advance of the ASA Annual Meeting. The preliminary ASA Annual Meeting program will be available in June.  

Next Steps and Important Dates: 

  • January 31: Register for the ASECS Annual Meeting and create a MyASA profile 
  • February 20: Optional Info and Q&A Session, Virtual 
  • February 28: Send first draft paper and abstract (director@asecs.org, alix@africanstudies.org, and members@africanstudies.org)
  • Spring/Summer: Seek auxiliary travel funding from your institution for the ASA Annual Meeting.   
  • May 23: Send revised paper and abstract (director@asecs.org, alix@africanstudies.org, and members@africanstudies.org)
  • Summer: Written feedback submitted by Mentors, Virtual 
  • October 15: Send completed, full drafts for final comments before the ASA Annual Meeting (director@asecs.org, alix@africanstudies.org, and members@africanstudies.org)
  • Consider applying for the ASA Graduate Student Paper Prize (January 2026) and to ASECS’s many Graduate Student Essay Prizes (links below) 
  • Prepare and submit your paper for publication 

Helpful Links: